Volunteers first for Red Cross director

WASILLA — The new Mat-Su director for the Alaska Red Cross said her first priority in assuming the job is making sure her volunteers are squared away.

“American Red Cross truly is a volunteer-led organization. I work for the volunteers, they don’t work for me,” Linzi Rothermel said. “I really want to make sure that our volunteer core here is happy and healthy, and they’re comfortable with me being here as their new district director.”

Rothermel steps into the job on the heels of Nancy Hall’s retirement. Hall had planned to leave this summer, but not to go as far away as she did — Hall and her husband now own a vineyard in Argentina.

Prior to taking over at the Red Cross (Thursday was her fourth day on the job) Rothermel worked for United Way of Mat-Su as the organization’s resource development director. She was in charge of fund-raising and volunteer programs. She said the work at her new job is somewhat similar.

“I do have a big focus here again on the fund-raising aspect,” Rothermel said.

She’s already gearing up on that front, preparing for the Red Cross’s annual Blue Tarp and Duct Tape Ball. The event features tarp-and-duct-tape fashion and is set for Sept. 18.

Rothermel speaks with a distinct British accent. She grew up in England, according to a Red Cross press release, and moved to the United States in 1987. Prior to the United Way, Rothermel spent 20 years working in human resources and employee education and training.

Rothermel said that background in teaching will be useful at the Red Cross, which puts on a lot of training courses. She’s excited to get back to that.

Also on the immediate agenda is the organization’s move to a new district headquarters. The new office will be on Crusey Street and Westpoint Drive, in the large white office building behind Midas.

“It will be a much nicer training space for us,” she said.

But while a move for a normal person might be as simple as calling a moving company or renting a van, for the Red Cross it’s a little different. Rothermel said she’s already talked with some local companies about possibly getting some donated services to scrub and re-configure the new office.

“We’re really working hard to make it as expense-free as possible,” she said. “We use our own vehicles to move.”

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.